Gunmen open fire on Area One top cop
Published:Friday | June 7, 2024 | 12:11 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Glenford Miller, who recently took command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Area One, and his security team survived an attack by gunmen in Montego Bay, St James, late Wednesday night.
According to reports, Miller and his support team were travelling along Kent Avenue when they observed a parked vehicle, which aroused their suspicion.
The cops reportedly stopped and were approaching the vehicle when gunshots rang out. The officers reportedly returned fire, but the vehicle sped off and the criminals escaped.
It is not known if any of the occupants in the vehicle suffered injuries.
While the St James police acknowledged the incident, which took place close to midnight, they were reluctant to provide more details, citing security reasons.
In recent times, there have been several instances in which gangsters have traded gunfire with the police.
In one such incident last year on Railway Lane in downtown Montego Bay, a police officer was shot and injured by a man he tried to apprehend.
Arising from that incident, which took place on February 18 at about 9:30 p.m., a 21-year-old man identified as Kirk Lawrence was arrested and charged with wounding with intent, possession of a prohibited weapon, and two counts of shooting with intent. That case is still ongoing in the Western Regional Gun Court.
Last year, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang came under much criticism after he urged members of the security forces to shoot to kill whenever they are confronted by gunmen.
“I am not telling any policeman not to fire back ... . I am not sending any ambulance out there either; I don’t want him to come give any trouble to the hospital. I am not in that business. You go to the hospital, it cost us $10 million to save him life. I am not into that. When criminal see police come, he must surrender,” Chang said at the time.